1 year after allowing tents in some Hamilton parks, council looks at new options for encampments

At the edge of a east-end Hamilton park, Lisa Bartlett carefully wipes dirt off her belongings after heavy rainfall partially collapsed and flooded her tent. 

Living in an encampment is hard, said Bartlett, 50.

It's often uncomfortable and unsafe, she added.

She wears a whistle she around her neck and carries a can of hairspray to ward off anyone who seems dangerous. 

In the month she's lived at the park, a man has exposed himself to her, she said. Her tent has been slashed and belongings stolen. She's seen fights break out with knives drawn. She's helped encampment neighbours who've overdosed on drugs and hands out naloxone kits.

But what stings is when park users walk by and yell "really cruel, vicious" comments, said Bartlett. 

"I tell them 'hey, maybe don't judge because you could be here one day — just like that,'" she said, shaking her head. 

Bartlett moved to the encampment after being hospitalized for health issues, she said. She joined her son, who has been unhoused for more than two years, and some friends who live in the same cluster of tents.

"These guys keep an eye on me, they all look after me," she said with a smile. 

Michael Dowling, 35, moved to the same encampment as Bartlett just over a month ago after being renovicted from his apartment in May, he said. 

He has been trying to find a new place to rent ever since, he said. 

"It's been horrible," Dowling said. "With the rent as high as it is nowadays, it's not looking good." 

In the meantime, he said he has no other option than to live at the park with his partner, Bartlett and the others — a stark reality that Dowling calls "bullshit."

He said he's aware some housed residents don't like that they live in the park, and feels the judgment, but doesn't know where else to go and says he hasn't been connected to city housing supports. 

"If we could help it, we would, but unfortunately as much as we're trying, there's no help," Dowling said. 

Encampment protocol isn't working, council says

The two live in a cluster of tents that are governed by the city's encampment protocol — a set of rules dictating where people can live outside, which council adopted nearly a year ago. 

It permits people to live in some parks indefinitely as long as they're in groups of no more than five tents and away from playgrounds, sports fields, private property and schools, among other places. Previously, encampment residents were often getting moved along after a number of days, their belongings thrown out, only to come back later. 

The rules were created in response to public feedback that some people have no other housing option than a tent. Shelters were, and continue to be, full, there's an "extreme shortage" of affordable housing, and the city has a limited budget to improve the system, a staff report said. 

The hope was the protocol would give both housed and unhoused residents clarity on where encampments could exist, while city staff, social services and housing providers would continue to offer assistance.

Police and city bylaw officers have been tasked to enforce the rules. 

But the protocol hasn't quelled concerns by some nearby residents.

And, across 70 encampments across Hamilton, about 220 people continue to live in tents — up from 200 last year, according to the city.

In the last month, council has heard from dozens of residents living near encampments demanding they no longer be allowed in parks.

"We are now in a situation where there's a growing rage in the community," said Coun. Ted McMeekin on Friday. 

Some people who have delegated to council said they regularly have to call 911 for people experiencing mental health crises, drug overdoses and fighting. Others described increased litter and waste, open drug use and property damage and theft — all near where children are supposed to be able to play safety. 

"Many are afraid to speak up fearing they'll be judged for lack of compassion," resident Kelly Oucharek told councillors in June. "We aren't horrible people to want to have safe public parks."

Nancy Hindmarsh said her neighbours have seen weapons at an encampment near her north-end home, but she also called for more supports for people living there. 

"There is a human face to the encampments — it's very complex," she said. "Some are tidy and organized with potted flowers. Some are in disarray and disrupt the nieghbourhood."

Hamilton police Supt. David Hennick told councillors the protocol is challenging and resource intensive to enforce. 

"It's an extremely difficult task and one we heard loud and clear [from residents] that we're not very good at," he said following delegations in June. 

"We are doing the best we can with the resources we have but I don't think we're meeting the needs of the community or the unhoused through the strict adherence to this protocol."

City to consider larger, sanctioned encampments

Faced with mounting criticism of the protocol, Hamilton council directed staff on Friday to take another look at "sanctioned" encampment sites as a possibility. 

That would see a number of designated locations where a larger group of unhoused residents could live and where they would be offered a range of supports, washroom facilities and garbage pickup.

A motion by Coun. Tammy Hwang is directing staff estimate how much it would cost to run those sites and report back in August. 

"This is something we've heard loud and clear from community," she said, referring to resident and police support for the idea.

"Those who are impacted by encampments and those who are living in encampments are in general quite dissatisfied with our existing protocol." 

For Bartlett and Dowling, who live at the east-end park, they said they aren't sure sanction sites are the way to go — but both agreed they and their encampment neighbours would benefit from better access to supports. 

Last year, council followed staff's advice and decided against sanctioned sites, which would've seen at least six locations house up to 25 people in tents. Staff had advised they were too expensive and resource intensive to run.

But this time around, council unanimously agreed they're open to reconsidering.

"Can we turn our community away from the rage they're feeling to a true partnership, where we can all come together and think about creative, entrepreneurial and innovative ways we can stand in solidarity with unhoused folk?" asked McMeekin. 

"That's the vision."